On our second day in port we decided to take the ferry back to Hamilton and book a sailing on the Reef Explorer. Unfortunately when we got there we discovered that the Reef Explorer was not sailing at 10 AM that day.
No worries.
Instead we boarded a bus (they are pink in Bermuda) to Grotto Bay.
Getting the bus on was a 'thing' since the ticket booth was closed due to a 'toxic smell' which led to all sorts of male grade 7 grade jokes. Finally we figured it all out and got on the bus we needed. The ride itself was stunning - through the winding back roads of Bermuda that I imagine few tourists ever see.
A former student of mine had given me some advice about Grotto Bay - mainly how to see the caves without the crowds and expense of taking the regular tour. Sure enough he was right and in no time we were here:
Nancy and Joanne weren't sure that they wanted to go through that crevasse to see what was on the other side. Of course, John, Paul, and I just went for it.
On the other side we saw some stunning caves.
Bermuda’s caves are thought to be at least 30 million years old, but both they were discovered by chance (boys looking for a wayward cricket ball) in 1907, a little more than 100 years ago. The area surrounding Harrington Sound (which lies to the south of Crystal Cave) is of limestone formation and noted for many subterranean waterways, through which the waters of the sound empty into the Atlantic. The caves are spectacularly beautiful, with many stalactites, stalagmites, and deep crystal-clear pools.
People could swim in this cave. We didn't join in but we did put our feet in . . . which was enough to tell us we had made a good choice - the water was chilly!
Rather than wait for a bus to take us the rest of the way into St. Georges we decided to take a cab. In about 20 minutes (and with some great commentary from the driver) we were deposited in the main square of Bermuda's only UNESCO Heritage spot.
The permanent settlement of St George began in August 1612 with the arrival of a governor, a clergyman, and 60 settlers, to be joined a few months later by 600 more people. The layout of the Town is one that has grown organically over nearly four centuries. At its heart is King's Square (or Market Square), adjacent to the harbour, and providing the link between the harbour and the two main east-west roads that connect the Town with the rest of Bermuda: Water Street, giving access to the quays, and York Street to the north, the main street of the Town. The streets to the north provide a network of what began as narrow, winding lanes and alleys.
The architecture of Bermuda is unique, and has changed little in its basic elements since the end of the 17th century. Different from other European-founded cities of the New World, St George has maintained the individually separated house for habitation, so typical of the English settlements in North America. Because of the nature of the soft limestone that continues to be used for construction, walls, including roofs, are white-washed and often painted bright colours. Since sources of water are scarce on the island, the white colour of the roofs and pitch are designed to collect rain water into cisterns through gutters and other conduits adding to the unique appearance of the town.
There are several churches, the most important of which is St Peter’s Church, the oldest Anglican Church site in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.
The mid-18th century was a time of economic stagnation for the town, but military activities during the American Revolution (1776-83) saw the beginning of a boom. The Corporation of St George was formed in 1797. St George was to remain a strategic military location for the next two centuries until the US naval base closed in 1995. The economy picked up again with the development of the tourist industry in the later 19th century. The Town and its Corporation’s efforts to save historic buildings began as early as 1920.
When we got to St. Georges we were a bit hungry. Stephen had suggested a restaurant called Wahoo and said if we were there before noon we should be able to get a spot with a great view of the water. He was right!
I started off with a new drink - a yellow bird.
OK. I might have had 2.
Lunch was an amazing fish sandwich.
After lunch we wandered around the town exploring and shopping. By late afternoon we were hot and tired. We had a quick ice cream beak.
A scoop of Bailey's Irish Cream and a scoop of Rum Raisin.
YUM
Afterwards we boarded the ferry back to the Dockyards.
This is the pic Stephen took from his window of the ferry heading back to the ship . . .
